mDNSResponder error?

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Level 1

5 points

mDNSResponder error?

Got this message in my System log (once):

Jan 19 15:56:32 <my server name> mDNSResponder[38]: PenaltyTimeForServer: PenaltyTime negative -268933, (server penaltyTime 1862782319, timenow 1863051252) resetting the penalty

What does this mean?

MacMini Server 2010, Mac OS X (10.6.5)

Posted on Jan 19, 2011 8:54 AM

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Answer 1

Jan 19, 2011 9:53 AM in response to Apple Martin

It means that a Bonjour-related timer for a misbehaving mDNS server was found with an out-of-range value, and was reset.

Based on some digging (this error isn't reported very often), one of the reported potential triggers might be an issue with your system time or with your selected time server; if you're using ntp to synchronize time, and if the ntp time base gets reset or gets, um, weird.

If this is a transient and infrequent error and not something particularly affecting operations, and if you're not attempting to operate traditional unicast DNS within the multicast DNS .local top-level domain, then I'd ignore it.

[Gonzo technical details here|http://www.opensource.apple.com/source/mDNSResponder/mDNSResponder-214.3.2 /mDNSCore/mDNS.c].

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Answer 2

Apple Martin Author

Level 1

5 points

Jan 20, 2011 10:17 AM in response to MrHoffman

It happens almost exactly every two hours.
timeserver is time.euro.apple.com and I'm in The Netherlands, timezone is set correctly.

Filtered on "PenaltyTimeForServer" from system.log:

Jan 20 01:55:31 myserver mDNSResponder[38]: PenaltyTimeForServer: PenaltyTime negative -208935, (server penaltyTime 1898782320, timenow 1898991255) resetting the penalty
Jan 20 03:55:32 myserver mDNSResponder[38]: PenaltyTimeForServer: PenaltyTime negative -209415, (server penaltyTime 1905982321, timenow 1906191736) resetting the penalty
Jan 20 07:52:31 myserver mDNSResponder[38]: PenaltyTimeForServer: PenaltyTime negative -29415, (server penaltyTime 1920382321, timenow 1920411736) resetting the penalty
Jan 20 09:53:31 myserver mDNSResponder[38]: PenaltyTimeForServer: PenaltyTime negative -88930, (server penaltyTime 1927582321, timenow 1927671251) resetting the penalty
Jan 20 11:54:30 myserver mDNSResponder[38]: PenaltyTimeForServer: PenaltyTime negative -148930, (server penaltyTime 1934782321, timenow 1934931251) resetting the penalty
Jan 20 13:55:30 myserver mDNSResponder[38]: PenaltyTimeForServer: PenaltyTime negative -208929, (server penaltyTime 1941982323, timenow 1942191252) resetting the penalty
Jan 20 15:55:30 myserver mDNSResponder[38]: PenaltyTimeForServer: PenaltyTime negative -208928, (server penaltyTime 1949182324, timenow 1949391252) resetting the penalty
Jan 20 17:56:30 myserver mDNSResponder[38]: PenaltyTimeForServer: PenaltyTime negative -268927, (server penaltyTime 1956382324, timenow 1956651251) resetting the penalty

Message was edited by: Apple Martin

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Answer 3

Jan 20, 2011 12:04 PM in response to Apple Martin

I'd try a [different ntp server|http://support.ntp.org/bin/view/Servers/WebHome] as a test, and I'd also call Apple support if that's an option here.

As for [ntp troubleshooting options|http://www.eecis.udel.edu/~mills/ntp/html/debug.html], is there anything from ntp daemon in the logs?

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Answer 4

Feb 11, 2011 1:36 AM in response to Apple Martin

I changed the time server from "time.euro.com" to "time.apple.com", even my server is in europe

Nothing (bad) happend and the penaltyTime-Error went away.

Rob

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